E.A.T. - European Audio Team Fortissimo S

The strongest comments are about musical engagement, with Thorpe calling it a turntable that sounded 'great' and praising its 'mastery of snap,' dynamic start-stop quickness, open staging, and the way it handles weight and power when the music demands it. He also notes a neutral tonal balance with added low- and mid-bass substance, which sounds full and authoritative rather than thin.

This is one of the clearest strengths in the review. Thorpe says the speed and wow measurements stayed totally consistent through the review period, and calls the 0.05% wow reading the best he's ever seen, which is unusually strong praise for pitch steadiness.

The F-Note arm is described as a high-mass design with low-friction bearings, and Thorpe specifically likes the VTA adjustment and found setup straightforward. The reviews are more positive than detailed here, though, and they do not go deep into tracking refinement or long-term arm behavior.

Isolation is reviewed very favorably, with Thorpe reporting complete silence from a knuckle rap compared with a clear thump from the VPI reference. He also says the Fortissimo S has a slightly lower noise floor, less emphasis on surface noise, and a complete absence of rumble.

The reviews describe a well-constructed, handsome turntable that radiates solidity and quality, and Thorpe says it is built to an extremely high standard. Audiophilepure adds more concrete engineering detail, citing opposing magnets, an inverted bearing with a ceramic ball, and a low-friction graphene coating, all of which support the impression of serious engineering.

This is a purist, high-end design with relatively few convenience features, but what is there looks well executed. The review specifically points to straightforward setup, optional tonearm packages, and useful VTA adjustment; beyond that, the product is mostly about the core deck rather than extra amenities.

The pricing is clearly premium, with the deck starting around $8,000 and climbing to $13,800 with the F-Note arm, so this is not positioned as a bargain. At the same time, the reviews present it as a seriously accomplished reference-grade product, and none of them call it overpriced or hard to justify versus peers.